John w



(No Model.)

J. W. LEDBETTER.

MILK OOOLER.

No. 470,849. Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

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JOHN V. LEDBETTER, OF LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY H. THORPE, OF SAME PLACE.

MILK-COOLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 470,849, dated March 15, 1892.

Application filed August 4, 1891. Serial No. 401,626. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LEDBETTER,a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty Hill, in the county of Williamson and State of Texas,.have invented a new and useful Improvement in Milk-Coolers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in milk-coolers; and the objects in view are to provide acheap and simple device for cooling one or a series of pails of milk by the utilization of the evaporation of water.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof Will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1. is a perspective of a milk-cooler constructed in ac cordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one of the bucketsupporting brackets. Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of the textile-cover-retaining pins.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a water-receiving bucket of suitable dimensions and of the ordinary construction, and the same is provided with the usual bail 2, by which it may be suspended from any suitable support. 3 designates a rectangular wire bail or bracket, of which there may be one of a series, and the same consists of a blank of wire of suitable length, bent at its center upon itself to form the central hook 4, adapted to receive the bail of a bucket, hereinafter mentioned, and after forming the hook the wires are laterally and oppositely disposed for a suitable distance, after which the terminals are bent or coiled to form eyes 5, and beyond the same are upwardly disposed and terminate in a pair of opposite hooks 6. The hooks 6 of the upper bail thus formed loosely engage in a removable manner with the eyes '7, in which the handle or bail 2 of the bucket 1 terminates, while a sec end lower bail 3 at its upper hook ends engages with the hook 5 at the lower end of the upper bail. A second, third, and fourth, or

by the first bail, and to the hooks 4 thereof are removably connected milk-pails 9, the

same having handles 10, which engage over the hooks.

11 designates a textile covering, which encircles the water-bucket and the series of milkpails and has its edges temporarily connected in any suitable manner, so as to wholly inclose the same. The upper edge of the textile covering is folded over the edge of the bucket 1 and depends into the water with which the bucket is kept filled. The lower edge of the covering is gathered and tied with a string 12, for a purpose hereinafter apparent. 13 desi gnates spring-pins, which are form ed of strips of spring metal bent upon themselves to form opposite clamping-terminals and are adapted to fit over the covering and edge of the bucket, as shown. The two terminals of the pins are bent in similar directions, as at 14, the inner terminal serving to depress the covering well into the water, while the outer terminals engage under the bottom of the bucket 1 and clasp the cover.

In operation the bucket 1 is filled with water and the pails filled with milk, and, if desired, a round-bottom pan or pail (shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1) may be seated in the bottom of the cover, which, by reason of the tied end, is adapted to support the pail. The water by capillary attraction follows the course of the textile fabric, so that the latter becomes thoroughly soaked, and by the evaporation of the water constantly cools the contents of the pails 9.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an extremely cheap and simple device by which milk may be successfully cooled through the evaporation of water, which is automatically supplied to the covering which constitutes the evaporating surface.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a milk-cooler of the class described, the combination, with the Water-receptacle adapted to be supported, a series of pails located below the same, and the series of wire frames for supporting the pails, of the textile covering surrounding the pails and receptacle and having its upper edge immersed in the Water, and the spring-pins clamping the covering to the edge of the bucket or receptacle, substantially as specified.

2. In a milk-cooler of the class described, the combination, with the Water-receptacle having the handle, of the series of brackets 3, depending therefrom, each bracket consisting of a piece of wire bent at its center to form the hook, beyond which the terminals oppositely diverge and are bent to form eyes for engaging with the bracket below and are upward] y disposed and terminate in hooks, the series of pails having handles connected with the hooks, and the textile covering immersed at its upper edge Within the water, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the bucket l and its bail 2, of the series of rectangular wire frames provided with hooks at the centers of their lower portions and at their opposite lower extremities with eyes and with hooks at my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 30 presence of two Witnesses.

J OIIN W. LEDBETTER.

\Vitnesses:

T. N. BRYSON, J. B. GRANT. 

